I grab a mixed bag from the cellar for our holiday break, here are my brief impressions
2001 Chapoutier Barbe Rac – this started off very slow with a slight mute bouquet that showed a little sulphite note, this was pretty one dimension on the palate but started to slowly uncoil.
This helped a great deal with the pain of the last 20 minutes of a Michael Jackson tribute show, so you can say it did it job. This was a nice drink that did not hit he heights I had hoped for, I question aging these for any longer as the tannins seem pretty soft and integrated. In all a long way for the awesome 1990.
2002 Bruno Clair Gevrey Chambertin PC Cazetier – a very pinot bouquet, all strawberries and spice backed by a bit of butchers shop meats, a really lovely entry with a nice plush entry and moderate length. A terrific tannin density that is rewarding and energetic, this could be aged but is a pleasure to drink today. In to glass two in no time, this will not last long.
1995 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cote Blonde – wow talk about drinking a wine at its perfect point in time, I have been a little disappointed in the 1995 RR La Landonne’s I have opened but this is a number of steps up, here there are lovely complex and defined aromatics and a soft rounded and long palate this just slips down your throat like liquid silk. The tannins are fully dissolved and your left with a lovely soft evenness with not a slightly hard edge in sight. When a Cote Rotie’s on, there really is nothing better. Still a long way from the 1999 but its time to drink up and be rewarded.
2004 Cepparello - I love the honesty of the 100% Sangiovese here, this needed air but show and drank beautiful over dinner. This did not show the density and purity like the 1997 and was pretty expensive on a wine list but I found the overall experience very enjoyable.
2001 Marcoux CNP – this was sexy stuff and much more my bag than the Chapoutier, a terrific bouquet of soy, roasted meats, cedar, sandlewood, herbs, wet ashe with a tinge of varnish and fresh mull pipe. This showed a few signs of it age but was backed by a still very primary structure, I like the contradiction. The tannin are still very firm and this will take more time to resolve. The last glass on the second night was out of this world, I can’t wait to pop the 2000 VV of Marcoux tonight.
1995 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle Musigny Les Cras – I had high hopes as the bottle was in perfect nick, on pouring it had a great colour with a real density but the bouquet was quite suppressed and the wine came across as very dry read, with not real sweet pinot fruits or caressing tannins. I have two left am at a bit of a quandary to do with them, as they are not going to get any better and they aren’t much fun to drink.
2000 Marcoux VV – this had everything and more, after opening I sat it in a decanter for a few hours but is barely seemed to budge, the fruits cut a huge sway across the palate and did the sweet/dry thing really well. The tannins have density but leave you with a real plush mouth feel. This was the perfect softener before going on to rock the Kassbar until the early hours
MT
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